If life begins at 40, then our best years last less than two decades,
according to an official survey that suggests we start to feel old at 59.

Government researchers who interviewed 2,162 Britons found that the moment we believe we have reached old age is precisely 59 years, two months and two weeks.

That, at least, is the average perception of when old age begins, according to the survey which asked the question of people from 16 upwards.

The moment we consider ourselves to be no longer young is, perhaps unsurprisingly, just over 40, at 40 years, eight months and two weeks.

But the research, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, found perceptions of ageing varied widely according to how old the respondents were, as well as their gender, and whether they were in work or not.

On average, women think old age starts at 60 years, four months and two weeks. Men think it starts at 58 - potentially because they tend to live shorter lives.